1999 – Five hijackers, who had been holding 155 hostages on an Indian Airlines plane, leave the plane with two Islamic clerics that they had demanded be freed.

1999 – The United States Government hands Panama Canal control over to Panama as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

2004 – The official opening of Taipei 101, the current tallest skyscraper in the world, standing at a height of 509 metres (1,670 feet).

2006 – The United Kingdom pays final installment of Second World War debt to the United States.

2007 – December 2007 Bocaue Fire. Seven people injured when a fire razed several fireworks stores in the Municipality of Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines.

1944 – King George II of Greece declares a regency, leaving his throne vacant.

1947 – King Michael of Romania is forced to abdicate by the Soviet-backed Communist government of Romania.

1953 – The first ever NTSC color television sets go on sale for about USD at $1,175 each from RCA.

1965 – Ferdinand Marcos becomes President of the Philippines.

1972 – Vietnam War: The United States halts heavy bombing of North Vietnam.

1977 – For the second time, Ted Bundy escapes from his cell in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

1985 – IBM-PC DOS Version 3.2 released.

1993 – Israel and the Vatican establish diplomatic relations.

1995 – The lowest ever United Kingdom temperature of -27.2°C was recorded at Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands. This equalled the record set at Braemar, Aberdeenshire on February 11, 1895 and January 10, 1982.

1996 – In the Indian state of Assam, a passenger train is bombed by Bodo separatists, killing 26.

R.C. Saints – Feast of the Holy Innocents, also known as Childermas, commemorating the Massacre of the Innocents on order of King Herod the Great. In Spain and Latin American countries the festival is celebrated in a manner similar to April Fool’s Day.

1814 – Destruction of schooner Carolina, the last of Commodore Daniel Patterson’s make-shift fleet that fought a series of delaying actions that contributed to Andrew Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans.

1825 – First public railroad using steam locomotive completed in England.

1831 – Charles Darwin embarks on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle, during which he will begin to formulate the theory of evolution.

1860 – The first ever inter-club football match takes place between Hallam F.C. and Sheffield F.C. at the Sandygate Road ground in Sheffield, England.

1861 – American Civil War: The Trent Affair: Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and Britain.

1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou begins.

1862 – Four nuns serving as volunteer nurses on board USS Red Rover are the first female nurses on a U.S. Navy hospital ship.

1862 – The largest mass-hanging in U.S. history took place in Mankato, Minnesota, killing 39.

1865 – James H. Mason patents first US coffee percolator.

1870 – The 12.8-km long Fréjus Rail Tunnel through the Alps is completed.

1871 – Gilbert and Sullivan collaborate for the first time, on their lost opera, Thespis. It does modestly well, but the two would not collaborate again for four years.

2004 – An earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter magnitude scale creates a tsunami causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and many other areas around the rim of the Indian Ocean, killing more than 300,000.

St. Stephen’s Day, a public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Ireland.

Synaxis of Theotokos and feast of St. Joseph,King and Prophet David and St. James the Just (Orthodox Christianity).

The first of the twelve days of Christmas in Western Christianity.

Boxing Day in the Commonwealth of Nations except when 26 December is a Sunday. Boxing Day is transferred to 27 December by Royal Proclamation.

Wren day in Ireland and the Isle of Man.

Australia – Proclamation Day (South Australian public holiday), for the foundation of the Australian state of South Australia on December 28, 1836 but commemorated on this day.

South Africa – Day of Goodwill, a public holiday.

First day of Kwanzaa.

Abadiu of Antinoe is commemorated in the Coptic Church on this date.

First day of Junkanoo street parade in the Bahamas (the second day is on the New Year’s Day).

In Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden, the 26th is known as the Second day of Christmas. In some of these countries it is also a public holiday.